The wet and dry
reflexology area
offers an
atmosphere of
calm and peace.

Tong posing at the Sky Beach at the top
of the Vox Tower.

By Tee Lin Dee

H

ELICONIAS sigh in the sunshine while the trickle of
water fills the quiet of the
afternoon.
All around, lush greenery
abounds, blanketing the land with
an inviting calm.
This is Verve Suites, the much
talked-about address in Mont Kiara.
The chatter is about to grow
louder now that the residence has
won an award in the Malaysia
Landscape Architecture Awards.
It is impossible to walk into
Verve Suites without admiring its
landscape.
Its gardens and stillness have
soothed many stressed and brokenhearted souls.
Designed by Nicole Van Den
Steenhoven, her landscape brilliance has resulted in a serene
jungle in the middle of busy Kuala
Lumpur.
“What we have done is create a lot of niches and areas for
people to hang out,” said Van
Den Steenhoven, who has been
experimenting with plants since her
childhood.
“When designing, we must find
out the needs of people who will
be using it. We always try to find
out what they want and then create
possibilities. Design must be malleable.”
She has been successful in that
endeavour as residents are seen
reading, chatting and relaxing in
the recreational areas throughout
the day.
The tasteful landscape is a tempting invitation to all who walk by.
Each area has been thoughtfully
designed to provide enjoyment
while remaining fully functional.
At the Level 5 podium, where
trees and plants stand in lush pride,
Van Den Steenhoven’s brilliance is

Greenery in the city

Take in the spectacular view from the Vertigo Sky Lounge.
on display.
An example is the podium heated
pool which gives respite on a chilly
day.
Then there’s the wet and dry
reflexology area in the midst of
trees and plants.
For those seeking some peace
and quiet, the cosy reading pavilion
which oversees a pond and a layer
of greenery offers solitude and
tranquillity.
And there’s the Gardens of
Concentrico – a stunning city
jungle on the 31st floor of the
Vogue Tower.

“We have more than 27 species of trees and 47 species of
shrubs here. The four layers of a
forest are featured here – canopy,
shorter trees, low shrubs and
ground plants,” explained Van Den
Steenhoven.
“The design is more introvert
compared to the other sky lounges.”
To allow the trees to grow well,
a specially constructed perforated
metal screen around the gardens
was constructed to reduce the effect
of the wind at this height.
Also included in the development
is a marvellous hydro gym.

Verve Suites comprises four
distinct towers, featuring 933 fullyfurnished designer suites and four
sky lounges – Vertigo Sky Lounge,
Hypercubes Sky Lounge, Gardens of
Concentrico and the Versilica Sky
Beach.
Also designed by Van Den
Steenhoven, each sky lounge is
accessible to all residents and
provides different recreation
opportunities.
Verve Suites definitely brings
residents closer to nature.
Over 100,000sq ft of the development make up recreational and

landscaped areas, a testament to
the developer’s determination to
bring pleasure to residents.

Delighting customers
Winning the Malaysia Landscape
Architecture Awards will no doubt
put the spotlight on low profile
developer Bukit Kiara Properties
(BKP) and its group managing
director Datuk N. K. Tong.
Prior to BKP, Tong was the
executive director of Sunrise Berhad
where he was actively involved in
transforming the once rubber treeland Mont Kiara into a well-heeled
neighbourhood.
“I’m most grateful for this award
as it is a recognition for the team
after years of perseverance. I’m
happy for them as well as for our
customers. When we started out,
we wanted to create something
special, something that would stand
the test of time. We wanted to
ensure that our customers would
enjoy living here,” said Tong.
Enjoyment is one thing, but
ensuring that it is sustainable is
important. Not many developers
have been able to do this.
“From day one, we asked ourselves, what would make sense
for this? What would be the most
cost-effective way to add value?
We could choose to put in a lot of
expensive things and then make
the customer pay. Or, we could
choose to delight them. We chose
the latter. The focus has always
been on the customers. Awards
can take care of themselves.
“Our core strength has always
been innovation, where we give
intrinsic value at a manageable cost.
To do that, one has to be innovative.
After all, if it’s too expensive, it’s no
longer value for money,” said Tong.

> See PAGe 6

MLAA

StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014

Landscaping makes all the difference
> FROM PAGE 5
Have a splashing time in
the infinity pool at the
Hypercubes Sky Lounge.

The more trees a development
has, the cleaner the air and the
slower the heartbeat.
BKP knew that landscaping was
key in creating a special development.
“The older the landscaping gets,
the better it becomes because it
grows. Anything green slows down
your heartbeat and relaxes you,”
said Tong.
“There is a lot of tender loving
care required when it comes to
landscaping. We spent a lot here,
even bringing in mature trees from
nurseries.
“We bought the trees when they
were young and let them grow in
their nursery.
“We then brought them over
when the trees matured. This costs
more, but we need to think for the
long-term as well as for ease of
maintenance.
“We start with the right ingredients, conditions, budget and the
right frame of mind for maintenance.
“Landscaping mustn’t just look
good today. It must look even
better tomorrow and in the years
to come.”

The power of greenery
Great landscaping has an innate
effect in bringing out the beauty in
people.
At Verve Suites, residents love
hanging out and getting to know
each other.
“When we started this nine years
ago, we wanted to do something
that would bring people together.
At the time, social media wasn’t a
buzzword yet.
“But what we created has, in
essence, brought real estate and the
virtual media together.
“We have a social media for
Verve Suites which is very active.
We have achieved this because we
provide a lot of support in terms of
management and services.
“The facilities allow our residents
to connect. The landscaping certainly makes a huge difference. I am
sure that without the landscaping,
we would be just another concrete
jungle.
“Landscaping helps a development. As a developer, it’s very
tempting to cut corners on landscaping. Instead, we spend a lot
to gain the immediate impact.
“Many things in a development
are revenue-generating, but not the
trees and not the gardens we have
created. But what they do is create
a wonderful effect.
“For landscaping to be impactful,
the management has to be passionate about plants. While we had
Nicole, we also needed the support
of everyone else to see to its success.
“Workers had to be very careful once we brought a plant in.
Everyone had to be mindful to create a safe zone,” said Tong.

Sustainable environment
“Let’s be honest, all developments
destroy the environment,” said
Tong.
“Having said that, how can we
minimise that effect?”
A lot has been spent on creating
a sustainable environment at the
Verve Suites.
Low VOC paints and aluminium
formwork (substituting plywood)

were used during construction.
This translates to aluminium
being recycled 1,000 times before
it is used to make a can.
In landscaping, it’s not just about
its aesthetic effect – it’s also about
functionality.
“We could have chosen to use
artificial fertilisers and synthetics
in our plants and it would look
good for only three to six months.
“Tending to plants is very much
like tending to a baby. You can’t
make them grow fast and when
they catch a disease, you need to
give them rest and tender, loving
care.
“There is R&D going on all the
time. What we are doing may not
be immediately noticeable, but we
have taken pains to give some of
our plants a 1.5m soil foundation
and make sure they “grip hands”
underneath.
“All these take effort, especially
during the initial stages. But should
there ever be a storm, our plants
and trees will stand strong. It may
be more expensive in the beginning,
but we are future-proofing
our landscaping.
“We believe in innovating on the
cutting-edge, not on the bleeding
edge. In whatever we do, it has to
be cost-effective and safe.”
Verve Suites is all about bringing
delight to customers. To do that
requires the software and hardware. The interaction would be the
software while the units and shops
are the hardware. Landscaping is a
bit of both.
“When you feel good about space,
magic happens. People become
friendlier, you feel more neighbourly.
“The whole team was really
engaged in reaching this goal and
we carried this through from
construction to delivery.
“All of us lead busy lives. We
wanted to create a lifestyle that lets
people play hard – and what we
have created attracts people who

The hydro gym at the Gardens of Concentrico.
celebrate life.”

Impacting society
one person at a time
Developments in Malaysia
have been praised for its high
international standards and
certainly, Verve Suites has done
well in bringing a little more
sophistication to living standards.
“It is not just a beautiful development, it also bears meaning.
“Our biggest contribution as a
group would be that we encourage
residents to take on this passion
for well-being and the
environment.
“If we can teach residents about
landscaping, value and well-being
through our social media and
facilities, we can grow Malaysia
one person at a time,” Tong added.

Van Den Steenhoven says that in designing, one must first find out the needs of the
people using it.

Linear Park is a place that is engaging, contemporary and culturally relevant.

Urban haven
T

he Linear Park at Puteri
harbour, Nusajaya, is planned
as an integrated urban waterfront and marina development
offering a panoramic view of the
Straits of Johor.
It aims to redefine luxury living
while offering boundless investment opportunities. Located next
to Kota Iskandar, the development
offers a world-class and luxurious
lifestyle community with exceptional waterfront living, dining,
entertainment, the arts and culture
in a safe and postcard picture
natural setting.
It will be an ideal location for
global or regional commerce and
events, with state-of-the art facilities and a business friendly environment.
The master plan visualises the
development as an iconic waterfront location with quality environment and structures that complement each other, integrate well into
the surroundings and contribute
towards a rich, vibrant and textured

waterfront precinct – a place that
is engaging, contemporary and
culturally relevant.
The objectives are:
• To enhance the identity of the
waterfront.
• To create amenities for all
groups of people.
• To promote a sense of community within the urban spaces.
• To adopt safety and security
measures through environment
design.
• To promote environmental
sustainable designs and use of
resources.
The Urban Design Guidelines
of this development focuses on
five precincts within the waterfront development – Nakhoda,
Laksamana, Tanjung, Bahtera and
Puteri precincts.
For the submission of this
Malaysian Landscape Architecture
Award 2013, the area of focus is
the development of the public open
space component of the Laksamana
precinct.

The public open space acts as a
green lung and can be used for
public festive gatherings and events.
It is the centre of gravity for all
the open spaces in this precinct.
The guiding principles of this
development, especially those that
relates to landscape, are as follows:
• Landscape elements that
respond to local cultural conditions
using materials, textures and forms
that celebrate the Malaysia native
landscape.
• Creating a bold and contemporary tropical landscape theme.
• Creating landscapes for a variety
of uses such as large public gatherings, special events, celebrations
and as pedestrian circulation
corridor.
• Develop strong indoor/outdoor
relationships between commercial
and retail and the adjacent public
laneways and plazas and residential
and the adjacent gardens to activate
and enliven the public domain.
• Use trees, structures, water
features and plants to create

cool microclimates.
• Provide a clear delineation
between public and private uses
while encouraging passive surveillance to increase security.
• Create destination landscapes
at key locations as focal points.
• Create a landscape that will
evolve into a multi-layered and
engaging place.

Landscape approach for
the Laksamana precinct
in relation to public
open space
• Open drainage system for storm
water management before it is
expelled into the harbour.
• Drop structures in the wetland
system to slow down velocity of
water using natural stones.
• Strong linear geometry in the
parklands as an expression of
water movement.
• Using trees to emphasise the
linear geometry and provide shade
for the pathway system.
• Strong visual and pedestrian

links with adjoining development
parcels to integrate the open space
with developed space.
• Meandering pathway system
follows the watercourse and connects the park to the adjacent
development.
• Adjacent cultural facility is
located in a park setting to complement the park.
• Wetland planting will be dominated by regenerated native vegetation to enhance biodiversity and
create habitat for indigenous fauna.
• Pavilions within the park
provide opportunities for informal
rest areas or meeting areas.
• Landscape spaces that are
carved into the wetland vegetation.
• Pedestrian connection to Private
Marina waterfront occurs under the
road.
• Major linear bridge connection
across the wetland connects the
park to the waterfront.
■ For details, look out for the
advertisement in this StarSpecial.

Linear Park is
an ideal
location for
global or
regional
commerce
events.

Trees, structures, water features and planting create cool microclimates

A combination of stone, steel, glass,
wood and plants creates an iconic,
stylish and contemporary design.

11@Mont’ Kiara is a new, different and unique development in Mont’ Kiara.

1

1@MONT’ Kiara is the result
of an idea to create something
new, different and unique for
Sunrise Bhd in Mont’ Kiara.
The “rotunda” building form is
semi-organic and due to the terrain,
has resulted in complex “multilayered” landscape spaces.
Its concept is to link these layers
with a combination of water, plants
and light.
Forcing a formal landscape into
the open spaces within and around
the building did not seem practical and the developer decided to
adopt an organic and “fluid” design
approach.
This allows the landscape to
effortlessly penetrate and permeate
through the open spaces.
The developer gained inspiration from the behaviour of fluids
and how they scatter, coalesce and
move through spaces and across
surfaces.
Fluids are physically represented
by pools and water features and
represented in abstract in the form
and layout of paving and features.
Water is used as a transfer material to allow light to penetrate and
connect the levels vertically.
The organic nature of the design
lends itself to a contemporary interpretation of “Art Deco”, which has
been used as an influence in com-

The main entrance to 11@Mont’ Kiara.

bining the main materials of stone,
steel, glass, wood and plants into
an iconic, stylish and contemporary
design.
This will be a “Design Hallmark”,
unique to 11@Mont’ Kiara.
The developer was given a free
reign over the design of all components within the open rotunda
space and wanted to explore the
concept of “stacking” landscape
elements to get the most functional
use out of limited space.
This design process resulted in
the creation of a “floating” pool,
where instead of a vessel floating
in water, the water is in a vessel
floating in space.
The elevated lap pool resembles
a space ship hovering above the
main environmental deck.
Multiple circular acrylic panels
allow light to penetrate through the
pool, creating functional and naturally lit spaces below.
A cluster of panels above the
car park central void allow light to
cascade and penetrate into the
centre of the car park structure.
All these come together to make
the vision and concept of the
development a reality as a new and
unique development in the market.

heN you come home to
Setia Sky Residences, it’s
like coming home to your
very own tropical paradise.
envisioned as a luxurious sanctuary in the city, Setia Sky Residences
offers not just the amenities found
in the world’s best tropical resorts,
but also features palm trees, crystalclear waters and blue skies.
Setia Sky Residences comprises
four residential towers situated on
2.4ha of land strategically located
along Jalan Tun Razak.
The gleaming 40-storey towers
are arranged in an eye-catching
curvilinear design.
The landscape design was
inspired by the terraced paddy
fields of Bali as well as the works of
legendary Brazilian landscape architect and artist Roberto Burle Marx.
Together, the organic lines and
shapes of the Balinese countryside
and Marx’s modernist art gave birth
to a landscape that responds to the
curving profile of the architecture.
In Malaysia, Marx is best known
for designing the KLCC park.
Therefore, the landscape design
pays tribute to the iconic building
that put Malaysia on the world
architectural map.

A tropical oasis in the city

A resort in the sky
The landscape design is best seen
in the two one-acre Sky Decks, each
of which bridges two towers at
Level 5.

The Sky Club features a Jacuzzi, lap pool, wading pool and children’s pool.

StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014

MLAA 13

Place to relax and enjoy a spectacular view

A spectacular view of Kuala Lumpur city from the Sky Villa.

> FROM PAGE 12
each Sky Deck is designed to
resemble the sinuous lines of a
Marx painting from a bird’s eye
view.
The organic layout takes the
form of a lush tropical garden with
a water feature that meanders the
length of the Sky Deck, featuring a
Jacuzzi, 50m lap pool, wading pool
and children’s pool.
A cascading water wall lends
more visual interest as it fills the
air with the soothing sounds of
falling water.
From the quiet semi-enclosed
private spas to the expansive deck
area and cosy pavilions on the Sky

Deck, there’s a visual treat in store
for you.
Trees are planted in abundance
all around the Sky Deck to create
cool, shaded areas so that you can
enjoy the outdoors in comfort.
Imagine relaxing on a deck chair
by the pool under a leafy canopy,
it is like you’re on a holiday at a
tropical island resort.

The lush life
More than 40 species of mostly
native plants can be found throughout Setia Sky Residences, from the
ground level to the Sky Deck and
the Sky Club on Level 33A.
These were selected not just for
their aesthetic effect, but also for

Imagine relaxing on a deck chair by the pool under a leafy canopy – it is like you’re on a holiday.
its low maintenance, resistance to
drought and hardiness.
The landscape design of the
Sky Deck can even be seen at the
ground level.
In addition, two to three metres
of lush plantings around the perimeter create a place where everything is soothing and peaceful.
At the entrance to residence,
frangipani trees are planted to
make a statement.

At the upper levels, plants are
also used to create a striking effect.
Sculptural plants in containers are placed at strategic points
throughout the Sky Club.
The objective is to bring residents
closer to nature without compromising on the magnificent views of
the city’s skyline, which includes
the Petronas Twin Towers.
Setia Sky Residences has become
synonymous with luxury. Setia Sky

Residences has been awarded the
Malaysia Landscape Architecture
Award 2013 for excellent landscape
planning and development in the
property development category.
■ For more information, call the
sales and marketing department
at 03-2714 5252 from 9am to 6pm
(Mondays to Fridays) and 10am
to 6pm (weekends and public
holidays).

Living closer to nature

Koe: I realised
that if people
want their
house to look
nice, they will
be willing to
pay for it.

Rymba Creek features a
variety of tropical plants.

W

hen it comes to a home,
what’s outside is as important, if not more so, than
what’s inside.
Living in the modern world,
the way people keep their homes
reflects their busy lifestyles, for
example, the lack of gardens on
most landed properties.
While not everyone has a green
thumb or enjoys mulching, transplanting and fertilising, it cannot
be denied that a well-landscaped
garden brings a sense of peace and
tranquility.
At Setia eco Park, the concept of
living in harmony with nature is a
serious matter.
The project began in 2004 with
the novel idea of incorporating
nature into an urban neighbourhood.
At that time, SP Setia decided
that this project will be the one
that brings change to the property
industry.
And the one person to bring such
a change is none other than SP
Setia’s chief executive officer Datuk
Koe Peng Kang.
Koe said: “When we first started,
I realised that if people want their
house to look nice, they will be willing to pay for it. even their cars are

taken care of beautifully. Yet, when
it comes to their gardens and landscape, people just don’t care.”
however, he knew that if he were
to create a beautifully landscaped
township, people would want to
be part of it.
Koe insisted that in order for

this idea to work, there should be a
variety of landscape and flora and
fauna.
Planting different kinds of species
would need nurturing and certainly
maintenance.
> SEE PAGE 14

Every nook and
cranny has
been filled with
a variety of
local tropical
species.

14 MLAA

StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014

The eco-park is
situated nearby
the Bukit
Cherakah forest.

Beautiful and tranquil surroundings

There are many pools and streams within the development.

> FROM PAGE 13
But first, Koe needed the municipal council’s approval. Although the
council was helpful, it lacked the
budget to maintain the landscape of
this 320ha of prime freehold land.
SP Setia then decided to undertake this responsibility on behalf
of the council.
When planting began, every nook
and cranny was filled with a variety
of local tropical species.
This move gave local tropical
species a chance to show off their
beauty.
In the end, the landscape turned
out looking like a typical tropical
garden. For example, Rymba Creek
features many different species of
tropical plants, with many unfamiliar varieties.
The eco-park was designed to
allow birds from the nearby Bukit
Cherakah forest to fly low and
hover at the parks.
Furthermore, the lakes are freshly
stocked with fish but fishing is

not allowed.
Although there are many pools
and streams within the eco-park,
there are not many mosquitoes as
the fish feeds on mosquito larvae.
“We can’t just be interested in
profits – it comes to such an extent
now where we need an ecologically
balanced environment,” Koe said.
SP Setia strives to work towards
preserving the environment.
“You don’t disturb it, but you
keep it beautiful and people would
pay a premium for this lifestyle.”
After 10 years, Setia Eco Park has
lived up to its reputation – Rymba
Creek was recently awarded the
Malaysian Landscape Architecture
Award 2013 for excellent landscape
planning in the property development category.
The awards are presented by the
Institute of Landscape Architects.
■ For more information, contact
the sales and marketing officers
at 03-3343 2228 or e-mail
eco-sales@spsetia.com.my

At Setia Eco Park, the concept of living in harmony with nature is a serious matter.